Plastic molded rectangular full-depth beverage cases are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,586 discloses one such single-cell case designed by the present inventor particularly adapted for transporting milk cartons. Another case dislosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,328 was for a strengthened full-depth case having vertical strengthening ribs and triangular cross-section column members at the corners to enhance the strength of the case which also was aided by the inner compartmentation of the case.
There has been a long standing need, however, for a full-depth single-cell plastic molded beverage case for transporting heavy fluid containers, e.g., two liter beverage bottles, that would have structural strength and dimensional stability under substantial stacking loads. Prior experience has shown that such cases were incapable of continued use under heavy-duty service and either outright breakage or at least severe distortion under heaving loading forces would severely shorten the service life of such a case.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a heavy-duty single-cell plastic molded beverage case with such structural strength and rigidity that it can support fully loaded two liter beverage bottles with the capability of cross-tying five cases high in a vertical stack of three pallets, i.e., a total stack comprising fifteen layers of cases.